Zain going for third pro win on the spin

Zain Ali with manager Anthony Manning. He’s fighting on Saturday

ZAIN Ali – a fighter who has found his feet after a faltering start  – goes for his third win on the spin on Saturday.

And the 26-year-old’s appearance on manager Anthony Manning’s show at the Eastside Rooms, Birmingham, will also be his first six rounder.

Zain, from Alum Rock, will be plotting to end things before the final bell. Opponent Lewis Varley, a fellow Brummie, has lost his only two pro contests, was floored in both bouts by body shots and is coming off a stoppage.

The possible vulnerability to punches downstairs will not be lost on Zain or Manning.

Light-middle Ali, who works as a courier during the day, appears a boxer re-born. He looked fleshy for his first two fights, flagged down the stretch and had to settle for draws. It was disappointing stuff from a man who had close to 60 amateur contests for Nechells Green ABC.

Back then, the father-of-two didn’t put the necessary graft in, something he candidly admits.

A lesson has been learned, Zain insists, and there is now more zip to his boxing. He and Manning will be looking to continue the improvements on Saturday.

Ali, who enjoys a big following, will be out to make a statement.

“I think in the past Zain was trying to do a lot of the training himself,” Manning said. “You need people looking after you in this game – supporting you, guiding you, making sure the work is getting done.

“He now has more structure.”

Manning is in no rush to push his boxer into the title picture.

He said: “With Zain, it’s going to be Steady Eddie, although he had 57 amateur bouts. In terms of bouts, he’s one of the most experienced boxers in the stable.

“He is experienced in that sense, but the process is a lot different to the amateur game. We are getting him to settle down and teaching him about the pro game. I can’t rush it with Zain.”

He is something of an all-rounder: it’s hard to pinpoint one thing Zain does exceptionally, yet his overall work is of a good standard.

“It’s a tricky one,” Manning added. “You can’t single out one thing like speed or power. His attributes are he’s a good counter-puncher, he can be unpredictable at times. He’s a tricky customer when he puts his mind to it.

“He is putting in the work, I can’t knock him in that sense. You have to remember fighters are constantly juggling with reality and a dream. The dream is winning titles, the reality is having a family and a day job.”

For Zain, Saturday is time to chase the dream.